Healing the hurt
by Idril Telperien
Summary: when her mother, Penny dies in a car accident Ashley is sent to live with her father Owen Hind at Fenton lodge. At last she starts to build the bond with Owen that she always wanted but an old enemy puts her in deadly danger. plese R&R better then souds.
1. Preface

**Please R+R. It will get better. **

**Preface**

If someone had told me six months ago that I would actually like the people who stole my Dad away from me I would have laughed at them and if they had told me I would happily die for them then I would have fainted at their feet. But I was. I was about to die for the cola's and I couldn't even feel any regret for my untimely death.

"Ashley Hind, I wonder what your poor father will do without you?" One of her men clicked the barrel into place and got ready to fire the gun at me. "Wait, I want her power."

"I don't have any power." I pointed out.

"You can do a few things that I might find useful. It will make your death more painless. For you anyway. I can't wait to see your father's face when he see's your dead body." She laughed cruelly before walking forwards towards me. She was right though, my father would be devastated by my death. We had finally started to get a close bond and now she was taking it all away from us. I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see Catherine Reader kill me.


	2. The accident

**This happens after stirring the storm but Owen doesn't fake his death. Just thought I would say. LoL.**

**1. The Accident. **

**Ashley POV**

"Oh, I forgot to tell you your Dad rung earlier." My mum smiled at me as I got into the car. It was her afternoon off so she picked me up from school.

"What did he say?"

"He said he was coming down next week for your parent's evening and was going to stay for the week."

"Really?!" Despite myself I felt a jolt of excitement at the prospect of Dad coming down during term time to see me. Ever since he had got the job at Cola club (yeah I knew all about it, he would never keep a secret from me.) I spent all the school holidays at his flat in London with him. I had used to like Cola club for brining him closer to my home in Cornwall so I could see him most weekends but then it had been destroyed and moved up North so I barely ever saw him. I had to keep reminding myself that it was better then when he was a solider and I didn't see him for months at a time and he was in constant danger. Although to be fair Cola club didn't exactly sound safe.

"That's what he said." Mum mumbled and I could tell she was worrying that he wouldn't show and I would be left heartbroken. I was about to point out that he had never once not shown up, it was more a case of having to leave soon after because one of the Cola's were in trouble. The two of them had had blazing rows about his obvious preference for the cola's over his own child although he had always denied it.

"He'll come. It's an important Parent's evening, all about my GCSE's. He'll be there. You'll see." She looked over at me and smiled.

"I know Ash, I just worry. It's my job in life." I smiled at her then turned my attention back to looking out of the windscreen. There was a huge lorry coming towards us down the country lane.

"Mom!" I screamed but it was too late. The last thing I heard was the screech of car breaks and shattering glass...

**Owen POV**

"Hey Penny. How are you?"

"Fine Owen." She muttered coldly.

"Is Ash there?" I was desperate to get off the phone with Penny. We had been arguing a lot lately.

"No she left for school. I'll tell her you called." She paused for a minute before sighing. "What else do you want?"

"She was telling me that she had a parent's evening coming up and I thought I should come down and go to it. I thought I could stay the week and spend some time with her." I was praying she would say yes. I hadn't seen Ashley in almost a month and I missed her. She was growing up so fast and I felt like I was missing most of it.

"Yes you can. She'd like that. But if I tell her you're coming and you don't show up then I swear I won't be responsible for my actions." She warned me.

"I'll be there I promise. I won't let her down again."

"Just remember this conversation." Then her voice went softer. "What happened to us?"

"We grew up." I smiled sadly as I thought of my childhood sweetheart and the relationship we had shared. We had had Ash when we were sixteen and had got married when we were eighteen. It hadn't lasted very long. Five years, to be precise, in the end we just grew apart.

"How's your job?"

"Oh, you know the usual." I tried to be vague as I couldn't lie to Penny.

"No, I don't neither of you two tell me anything." She complained.

"How is your job? Still working at the paper?" I quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah. I should really get going." She sounded reluctant to get off the phone.

"Yeah of course. Bye Pen."

"Bye Owen." I hung up on her and went over to the desk where I kept five photo frames in a neat line. All of them were of my daughter. I picked up the oldest and the newest. The oldest was when she was two and a bridesmaid at our wedding. The newest had been taking the last time I had seen her. Where had all that time gone?

"Owen!" Tyrone put his head around the door.

"Coming." I smiled and headed out of my office to take my woodwork lesson.

It was summer and for once the sun was shinning. I was outside with the Cola's taking my woodsman lesson. It was five o'clock but still hot and we were trying to make fire.

"Look Ty's coming." Gideon pointed out as he stood up to collect more twigs. I turned and sure enough Tyrone was coming racing towards us.

"OWEN!! OWEN!!"

"WHAT!" I called back to him, wondering what was up.

"THE HOSPITAL CALLED! PENNY AND ASHLEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT!!"As the words sunk in I felt sick. This couldn't happen, they couldn't die... "Owen?" Tyrone had reached us and was stood just a few feet away from me. I nodded and started running for my car but Tyrone got there first and opened the driver seat.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm hardly going to let you drive. Now get in." I obeyed his demands and sat in the passenger side trying not to let my fears engulf me. One thing was for sure, this was going to be a long drive.


	3. She's gone to live with Jesus

**N:B- The way Owen explains it to Ashley is the way my mum explained my Granddad's death to me when I was 10. So now I've cheered you up...**

**3. She's gone to live with Jesus. **

**Owen POV**

"Ashley Hind? Penelope Langdon?" I asked the hospital receptionist desperately. Tyrone was stood next to me trying desperately to be optimistic.

"Hold on one minute, sir." She muttered obviously more interested in looking at a male nurse on the other side of the room then helping me find my daughter.

"No, I won't hold on! This is my daughter we're talking about!" I shouted at her.

"Ashley Hind?" She asked in an exaggerated slowness that nearly sent me over the edge.

"Yes." Was all I could manage without swearing at her. She tapped on the keyboard and suddenly her face froze.

"I just need to get a Doctor." She left quickly through a set of double doors at the end of the corridor.

"She's dead." I whispered as the horror of my words sunk in. she couldn't be dead, not my little girl.

"Don't be so morbid she'll be fine." Tyrone put a hand on my shoulder.

"I can't help it. Worrying about her is my job in life." Although I may be out of it soon, I thought and tried to keep my thoughts positive.

"Mr. Hind?" A middle aged man in a white coat appeared at my side.

"Yes, I'm Owen Hind. Where's my daughter?"

"She's in intensive care. She was brought in with massive head trauma. We managed to stabilise her but to help the swelling on her brain we put her in a medically induced coma. The next 24 hours are critical."

"Can I see her?" My voice cracked as I said the words.

"Yes I'll take you to her, but be warned there are a lot of tubes."

"What about Penny?"

"Penelope died at the scene. I am very sorry." He looked at me apologetically and I felt Tyrone's hand tighten on my shoulder.

"Have you told Matil... her parents?"

"Yes, they are with your daughter now. So is your family." I nodded and let him lead me towards my daughter. Penny was dead and Ash could join her. "We only let a few people in at a time." He explained. "Your family are taking turns." He led us into a small waiting room in the middle of the intensive care ward where all my family sat. My mum and Dad were comforting Penny's parents and my sixteen year old kid brother Mickey was leaning against one wall and Rebecca had her arms around him.

"Owen!" Rebecca was the first to notice me and Ty stood in the doorway. She threw her arms around me.

"Where is she, Becca?"

"Along the corridor. I just came out, I'll take you there." I nodded and followed Becca blindly down the corridor where she came to a stop outside a wooden door. "Owen, she looks..."

"I've been warned. I just have to see her." She nodded and opened the door for me. I stepped into a brightly lit room full of machines all beeping at different rhythms. In the middle of this was my baby. She was lying on a white bed with tubes going in and out of her. Her skin was a shade of ashen white and she looked so small lying on the big hospital bed. I walked towards her and bent to kiss her forehead. "It's alright Ash, your Dad's here now."

/\/\/\/\

Although Ashley was only out of it for three days it felt like a lifetime. I only left her bedside to shower and change my clothes. I even slept in the chair by her bed. I felt guilty but I avoided Penny's parents like the plague. I had never been their favourite person in the world, after all I had got their daughter knocked up at sixteen then left her seven years later to bring up my offspring and I doubted their feelings had changed now she was dead. I spent lots of time avoiding my family as well, I felt guilty that I had left my daughter for so long and couldn't face the people that had stuck by her.

Then on the third day the doctor came in and told me that the swelling had gone down sufficiently and they were going to bring her round. Despite all the odds she had done it, she had survived! I stayed by her side and held her hand. I knew how she hated needles and she would freak when she saw all of them in her. They had warned me it would take a while for her to come round and when she did she would be groggy.

"Dad?" She mumbled, one of her ice blue eyes opening to look at me. I felt joy pulse through my veins at the sound of her voice.

"Its ok honey, I'm here. Your Dad's here."

"Dad, it hurts." She said again.

"I know honey; you've been in the wars." I smiled trying to make light of it.

"Where's mum?" She opened the other eye and both were filled with tears. I had been trying to figure out how to break it to her gently, how to tell her her mum, her confidant, her best friend was dead.

"Baby, your mum was really badly hurt in the accident." I began carefully.

"Where is she?"Ash repeated.

"She's gone to live with Jesus in heaven."

"No!" She let up a scream and began wailing. I held her in my arms and soothed her as she sobbed. Almost an hour later she had calmed down enough to talk to me.

"It was my fault." She whispered. "She was talking to me not watching the road. It's all my fault!"

"No baby no. It wasn't your fault."

"Where am I going to live?" she asked eventually.

"With me at Fenton lodge. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."


	4. Worst day

**3. The worst day of my life**

**Ashley POV**

The worst day of my life was a Wednesday. I was stood next to my Dad outside the local church wearing jeans and a red long sleeve top. It had been in my Mum's will that she wanted everyone wearing jeans and no one was to wear black. I was leaning heavily on my crutches to keep the weight off my broken leg, in truth I shouldn't have even been up and around yet but I needed to be here.

"Dad." I mumbled as he let me bury my face into his warm jumper.

"It's going to be alright honey." He promised as he wrapped his arms around me. He had been so good these past few weeks as I had recuperated in hospital, barely leaving my side even when my Grandparents on my Mum's side had come in to see me and thrown hundreds of unjust, snide comments at him.

"I can't believe she's really gone. I keep thinking she's going to walk through the door."

"I know baby." He kissed the top of my head.

"Have you told everyone I'm going to live with you?" By that I meant my mum's parents. I knew they would blow their top when they heard I was moving up North.

"Yeah. Last night, I don't think I'm getting a Christmas card this year."

"They just care about me." I tried to defend them half-heartedly but really I was annoyed with them for treating my Father the way they had.

"I know, baby. You're lucky to have so many people who care about you. Oh no." He groaned and I turned to see my Grandparents coming towards us. This was going to be fun.

"Ashley, are you ok darling?" My Gran hugged me quickly while never taking her eyes off Dad.

"I'm good, Gran." I smiled at her while trying to tell them both with my eyes to lay off my Dad.

"Should she really be here?" Granddad asked with disapproval in his eyes.

"Dad wanted me to stay home but I needed to come here." I tried to save him but it was no use.

"What are you even doing here, Owen?" My Granddad asked angrily.

"Can we do this somewhere else?" Dad asked as he put his arms around me protectively. "Maybe somewhere away from my grieving daughter."

"The vicar said that Penny will be here in a minute." Rebecca appeared by my side and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It'll be alright Ash." I nodded at her and wrapped my Dad's arms around me even tighter.

"It's going to be ok, Ash. I'll be there with you." My Dad promised me.

The ceremony was hell. Listening to everyone saying all these wonderful things about my mum. Most of the things they said were completely made up and made her into some kind of saint. When really she liked nothing better then arguing the toss with the milkman about the bill. No one had asked me if I wanted to speak, they hadn't wanted me to feel pressurised into doing something I wasn't ready to do. But I had wanted to say something about her today in front of all the other people who had loved her as much as I did. When it came to my turn to speak I wasn't sure whether I could do it or not but I had to do it for her. So I stood up and hobbled up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"My mum was a great woman. I know you will all agree with me on that one. She loved all the simple things in life- he Sunday lie in, a cup of tea before bed, her afternoon's off when she could pick me up from school. She was a great mother to me and we had a great relationship together. I know she would want us all to be happy and she'll always be watching over us because that is the kind of wonderful person. And the world will be a worse place without her." I was chocking back the tears as I hobbled back to my seat.

"Well done baby." My dad whispered in my ear. "She would have been so proud of you."


	5. Tender loving care

**4. Tender Loving Care**

**Owen POV**

I stared around the room forlornly as I tried to find what Ashley would want to keep and what she wouldn't. She refused to come into the house and had told me to take everything from her room, some photos and some of her mum's stuff but I didn't know what she would want and what she wouldn't. It showed me just how little I knew about my daughter and her relationship with her mother.

It had been three days since the funeral and I was planning on taking Ashley back to Fenton lodge soon. Not only was the government getting shirty about me being away for so long but also I wanted to settle Ashley into a sense of normality and stability. We had been living at my parent's farm house since Ash had come out of hospital and although I was enjoying spending time with my parents, Mickey and Rebecca I didn't want Ash to become to settled and then having to move her out again. My kid had been through so much already and I was desperate to make the transition as easy as possible for her.

"Owen, have you got everything Ash needs?" Tyrone appeared in the doorway of the living room after putting the last box I had already packed in the car.

"Almost, I just need to grab a few more bits but I shouldn't be that much longer." I told him apologetically, we had been here for hours already.

"Take as long as you need." He went over to the sofa and sat down as I packed photos into a box by me feet. Tyrone had been so great to my family through all this although I think it was only to make a good impression as he fancied Rebecca. No, that was unfair on Tyrone. Honestly, when had I become so cynical?

"Did Rebecca tell you about her job with the cola's?"

"No?" He looked up excitedly at the prospect of spending time with my sister.

"Yeah as the new nurse." She had told me last night that the government had accepted her proposal and now she could keep an eye on Ash and me.

"That'll be great! For Ash I mean." He quickly backtracked much to my amusement. We finished packing up and left the house for the last time. The men would come tomorrow to put the rest of the stuff into storage.

My family home was only ten minutes away by car. It was a small farmhouse set in a few acres of land and although it was no longer a working farm they still had some animals- horses, hens and some sheep. There was a courtyard of stone surrounded by three buildings- the farmhouse in the middle and a garage and barn on either side. I smiled as I looked at the barn, it had so many memories in it- Ash had been born in the barn with me playing midwife.

As we opened the front door the smells of cooking instantly hit us. Now I knew why I loved it here- roast dinner made for me when I got in. I walked into the living room where Ash and Mickey were watching something on TV. Looking at them you would think they were brother and sister not uncle and niece.

"Hey, Dad." Ash smiled up at me from the couch. She looked so much better and brighter then she had done in ages, almost like her old self again. That was all she really needed to get better- a bit of tender, loving care. Maybe a holiday would do her some good. A couple of weeks out in the sun was what we both needed, I decided on the spot that the best thing for us was a holiday somewhere hot- probably Spain and the cola club could hardly complain if I took a few weeks off for my daughter.

"Ash, I was thinking that we could go away for a couple of weeks. Spain maybe?"

"Yeah, it would be nice." She agreed with slightly less enthusiasm then I had given it.

"I'll just have to clear it with the government."

"Oh." Her face fell as she knew what that usually meant a big fat no.

"Ash, there not going to stop me looking after you. I won't let them." She smiled at me before going back to watching the TV. I wandered off to the garden to call up Chambers and beg him to let me have a few more weeks' freedom.

"Hello, Chambers speaking."

"It's Owen."

"Owen, it's good to hear from you. How's Ashley doing?" he asked with fake concern.

"As good as can be expected after losing her mother. I need a favour."

"What kind of favour?" He asked sceptically, I sighed this was going to be difficult.

"I want to take Ashley away; I think it would be good for her. Maybe Spain, just for a few weeks."

"I don't know Owen; you've had so long off already and going abroad." In other words get back to Fenton lodge and don't even think about going abroad.

"Look two weeks, that's all I'm asking. Then we'll be back at Fenton. You can even check the tickets to see where were going if you don't trust me."

"It's not that I don't trust you." Liar, I thought bitterly.

"Just two weeks." I felt like begging him to let me do this, prove to Ashley that her mum had been wrong and I would do anything for her.

"Fine, two weeks and then I want you back."

"Thank you." I thanked him regrettably before hanging up. "See Penny, I always tried to do what was right for her." I told the sky as sat down on the bench in the garden. Thinking of Penny always brought back painful memories. It was like fate had decided that we could never be happy together no matter what. The most painful of all was how we had almost got back together, but it seemed fate had had other ideas. We had been spending so much time together since I had moved back to Cornwall and we'd been getting closer and closer. Then I'd come round one night when Ash was at her mates for a sleepover and we'd slept together. It was just before I had left for Fenton and Penny had put an ultimatum on me- stay here with her and Ash and we could start over or go to Fenton. How I had wished that I could have stayed with them and been a proper family but there was no getting out of cola club. I had wanted to tell Penny why I couldn't stay with her but I knew it was too dangerous for the colas. Ash was one thing but Penny was a whole other issue, so I had had to let her believe that I didn't love her enough to stay with her. She had believed that till she died when really she was my soul mate. I let a few tears fall down my face as I thought of what could have been if only I hadn't got mixed up in all of this.

"Are you ok Dad?" Ash hobbled over to sit down next to me on the bench.

"Just missing your mum." She hugged me tightly and I held her close. It was right then that I made a decision- no matter what happened with cola club I would never let my daughter feel the way I had let Penny feel. I would be a proper father no matter what.


	6. NOTE

Sorry it has been so long but I have been on holiday to Cornwall with angel of apathy and it was amazing! It has also given me lots of inspiration for my stories and even an idea for a new one! Also just a quick warning, in September I am starting that lovely thing called GCSE's (cry) which means I actually have to do some work so there will be less frequent updates but don't worry I will finish them all. I really appreciate all the lovely reviews you guys give me and a huge thank you to everyone who has voted as I appreciate the help and it will come in handy. So to make up for the lack of updates here is a preview of the next chapters:

**Dangerous games: **

Sorry that it has been so long but the chapter I am writing is giving me serious writers block (seriously not helped by me accidently deleting what I had written). I know what is going to happen in the ones after and I am happy to inform you that there will be a sequel! To make up for the delay in the update I have updated the summary which has some spoilers in it which I think you will enjoy! In the next chapter the Whitlock's will finally change into vampires and Clara falls in love with Paul.

**Back then:**

Sorry again about the delay but I have half the chapter written already this means that it won't be too long before it is up. In this one Alex and Jade have a race against time to get out of Manchester while they're being pursued by not only MI6 but also the mafia who are desperate to save Jade from the clutches of MI6.

**The Osirens:**

Yeah, this ones kind of been forgotten but I will do another chapter and if people like that then I will continue and if not then I'll give up on it, so if you like this story then please review. In the next chapter Lexi will meet a mysterious stranger in the woods but is he all that he seems?

**Happily ever after:**

This has to be my favourite story, and not just because it has Jacob in.i am so gratefull for all the support and reviews I get. So you lot are used to having seriously frequent updates, in the next chapter Callie and Embry sort out their differences and Callie and Jake get closer.

**Alice's new dawn:**

Loving the support this story is getting and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Molly goes to see her mother and is shocked by the state she is in. We find out more about Molly's past and why she hates her mother.

**Healing the hurt:**

Ashley and Owen escape on holiday to Spain before reluctantly heading back to cola club to meet the colas.

**The revenge (new one!): **

A new Harry Potter fan fiction and the first chapter should be up now. It is set after Serrius' death, with the death eaters after his muggle daughter, Lottie, Dumbledore takes her to Hogwarts to keep her safe.


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